Report: Man swallowed drugs, dragged cops with car

Staff reports

Published 4:37 pm, Tuesday, December 4, 2012

A Bridgeport man was arrested in Middletown after police said he swallowed baggies of drugs, dragged an officer with a car and led police on a high-speed chase Monday night.

Police told the Middletown Press (http://bit.ly/UdowXJ) that city police set up a controlled drug buy with Charles Carr, 40, of Beechwood Avenue, in a shopping center parking lot. Carr pulled into the lot and undercover officers identified themselves as police and tried to take Carr, who was in his vehicle with the windows up and doors locked, into custody.

Carr then grabbed clear plastic bags allegedly full of crack cocaine, shoved them in his mouth and swallowed them, taking a large gulp of water to wash them down, the newspaper reported. The officers saw Carr swallowing the drugs and broke the windows of his car to try and stop him, police told the Press. Carr realized officers were in his car and pressed the accelerator to get away, dragging one screaming officer for several yards before he was able to break free, police said, and narrowly avoiding striking others with his car.

The officer suffered minor injuries.

The newspaper said Carr sped away at over 100 miles an hour and was later stopped on Route 9 by state police. He was taken out of his car and continued to punch and kick officers, according to the report. He later admitted to swallowing the crack cocaine, police said.

Carr, a felon, was charged with reckless driving, disobeying an officer's signal, engaging police in pursuit, sale of illegal drugs, possession of narcotics, interfering with an officer, assault on a public safety officer, first-degree reckless endangerment and destruction of evidence.

He is due in Middletown Superior Court on Dec. 18 and was held in lieu of $400,000 bond.